Potato-planting machine



,April 2, 1946- 1. PoMlERANlEc l Y' 2,397,691`

PoTATo-PLANTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheefbl April 2, 1946. l. POMIERANIEC 2,397,691

n POTATO-PLANTING MACHIN Filed sept. 28, 1943 s sneetS-sheet'z v Inventor ttornmb` 1 I April 2, 1946- l. POMIERANIEC 2,397,691

POTATO-PLANTING MACHINE Filed sept. 28. 1945 s sheets-sheet 3 Inventor K-llllll JEM Eel/w56.

A (torneys4 Patented Apr. 2, 1946 Transplanters (Rubot) near SLlAlbans,,England,a.company of. Great.

Appiicationlseptemb'er 28, 1943;-,SerialNorfMl- In Great Britain September-9,q1942fz This invention:` relates:v tol improvements in` or rel-ating to .potatoeplantir'ig` machines.A

Potato-planting machinesv are already-A known wherein an endless.: conveyoroperating in avertical planeissproyidedv with supports for individual potatoes;1 the potatoes: loeingfh dischargedI` by said supports becoming invertedS during-the progress oftheconveyor: These known' machines' thereforeeare.- only adaptedfor: planting asingle row loi potatoes during r4eachatraverse oft'hef ground concerned;and.the ieedingf and" conveying-mechanism issnecessarilyrofz a'. somewhat complexv nature.

One: ofi the 1- objects 1 offthe'l present inventionv is to provide an improved lpotato-planting-machinc which; enables; planting operations to be" carried out more quickly: andeeasilyfthan is" possiblel with known: machines;

A-i1rther obj ect `is :to-provides; machine which is:7 capable; off` plantingk af pluralityY of rovvs of potatoes each time" themachineY traverses the planting;A ground;

s Another-object is` to 1-providea machine-Which not. onlyy deliversipotatoes tothe ground but' also forms:` furrows: forv receiving f' suchv potatoes and closessthezsoil; over the: delivered potatoes:

Other objects offthenventionfwill be' apparent from theollowingdescriptionffandlclaims:

Accordinggto; onefeature ofi the i`present invention gtherezis'sprovided; azpotato-planting machine having-:mechanism forf conveying potatoes to'4 de'- livery pointselogcatedindifferent positions trans;- verseiyrwith-.respect-to :said machine so` as topermitgof: ai plurality.4 off rows of potatoes 'being delivered; to: the: ground each timev the' machine traverses-.the flatter;

According to another feature of the present invention' there isprovided a potato-planting'machine-havingpotato-conveying mechanism which isucauseditofmove'transversely:across the machine for; at-.leasts af. part`oflts travel and means for effecting: delivery of. potatoes f from said conveylng; mechanism.. at, a plurality:y of different positions;l transversely` with respect; toA said machine whereby said` conveying mechanismis :adapted to supply potatoes in a plurality Lof `rows-each time the machina traverses the Aplanting ground.v

The@ aforesaid conveyingy mechanism isf ad'- vanta'geouslyrin the-'formy of a turntable or vvheel mounted;` for rotationin a horizontal planev and driven; in any suitable: wav.v for instance by the roadcrwheels.;,of;athe machine through any suitable gearingforbymeansiofan independentimotor;

The: aoresaidz conveying,` mechanism@ may: include?. any.. suitable= potato-carrying devices: and tneseemay foriinstancezbenlthe;formaofiicupss Potatoes may: kie-dischargedy from the aforesaid potato-carrying` devices .v in any suitable-j Way, but I' at present preferably; provide cups-or the like which are pivotailyfmountedr so that they.l can swing` downwardly. and soiallowf. the..potatoesto fall' therefrom at thef desired-4 pointsa` in their travel; In suchcases:thei'carrierssmay normally be retained in their supportinggpositions and-be caused or permitted toA assume` their. delivery positions-in any suitahleway. Thus; forinstance guiding: rails, platforms or: the; like mayJy beslocated immediately under:l the: conveying; mecha.- nism =soY as to prevent said carriersfrom swinging into their discharging positions throughout'. that part of their travel; where-ho.VV delivery is` t-be effected and interruptionsi may;` loe-made; intsaid rails, platforms-eor-fthe likesatnthe;desired.,de1ivery points so that at thosepointsaid carriers-.7 can movexunder:l the. iniluence of. gravity and/ or under theeffect; of subsidiary strikingvv mechanism lo.- cated in their path into-their discharging positions and the continued operation ofthe conveying Imechanism mayY automatically eectlthe .reif turn of said carrying devices; into theinsupportning positions;A

In another arrangementJ I; may: employ; cam rails or the like for controllingzthe` desiredgmove.- ments of said carriers.

Loading stationsare provided'between the de;- liverypoints of a machined accordingl to: the present-:invention anda -hopper is preferably lvprovided from-which the loading can befeiected. The loading may'be carried out'byhand and in such cases and assuming that the conveying mechanism is of aturnta'ble nature the hoppen-1s advantageusly located vat* theV centre of theturntable. 'or in a position extending diametrically thereacross. In order to facilitate thel manual loading operation to the greatest possible. extent the, hopper may. include trays extending out- Wardly tothe loading, pointsV and communicating with said hopper through. a .restricted opening.,so that only a limited-number, of potatoesarefed to. said. trays and the latter. are. automatically replenished as long: as there fare ,any; potatoesin the hopper;

A machine according to the' present ,invention may, be adapted .fori feeding potatoes; in morerthan two: rows butl for simplicity andhaving regard to thelimitations :ordinarily imposed on thecsize; of thel machine it; Will..usually.be desirable toV adapt the-machine for; delivering.: potatoessinztwo'rows only: In' suchwcases=the delivery mayL take-place at f-the" two' :sides of the machine-and ltheeloa'diiig positions may be located at the front and rear ofV Y the delivered potatoes may the conveying mechanism. y

A machine according to the present invention preferably includes plows located under the aforeas the machine n 1' e oints so that Sad de 1V ry p potato-receiving progressesl along the ground urrowsl are automatically formed and the ma-` chine may also include means for closing said furrows after the potatoes have been delivered.,

Thus, for instance, adjustable soil pressing wheels may be provided, or pairs like suitably inclined for chine.

If desired, manure or other material' 'for treatn distributing mechanisrninto a position' for dis, f charging a predetermined amount of manure orv to the ground so that other desired material on in operationa predetermined amount of manure or other desi-red material is suppliedin contact with or adjacentto each potato. Y

' In order that thepresent invention may be well Vunderstood I will now describe, byrway of ex-V 30 ample only, one' embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in whicht; Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the machine;

-Figure 2 is a Figure 3 isa sectionalV plan View taken just above the potato conveyor.

Referring to the gures, the machine includesv a frame I mounted onra pair of wheels 2, 2 and having a hitch'3 at its leading end for Yconnection 1 to a tractor, although it is of course also within Y the scope ofthe present invention to provide a self-propelling machine. I K Y v A conveyor wheel l is mounted on the frame I and arrangedior rotation in a horizontal plane,

the said conveyor wheel beingvdriven from the axle of the wheels 2, 2 Vforinstance by means of the gearingA shown, i. e., by means of ashaft 5 having toothed wheels G, 6 engaging crown teeth 'ion the wheel d, thesaid shaft having a gear wheel 8 enga-ging a pinion S fitted to a lay shaft lli and the latter' shaft also carrying a gear wheel l I making engagement with a gear WheelIZ carried -on oner of the stub axles I3 of the road wheels 2, 2. The aforesaid axle I3 and shafts IB and 5 are journalle'd'in the frame I of the ma-v chine and the above mentioned gearwheels and pinions are keyed to the shafts on which they are mounted. 'Y

' The'stub axles Vi3 are carried by crank 4arms I3 extendingY from vthe shaft Ii)V and by rocking such Vcrank arms the `frame Yof the machine can be raised or lowered with respect to the road wheels.`

wheel but when said levers are swung downwardly `i nto the positions shown in Fig. 1; the frame is of discs, plates or theV ridging the earth overv beztrailed bythe iria-V V rear perspective View of the ina- V35 chine shown in FigureV 1 and i raised to its uppermost position so disengaging the gear wheels Iland I2 and accordingly interrupting the drive to the said conveyor wheel, hooked members I5 or other suitable means being pro- 5 vided for locking the levers in their depressedpositions. y The aforesaid conveyor wheel 4 has a plurality o f potato-receiving cups I6 iitted around its periphery., the Vsaid cups being pivotally carried on 10 Apivot pins Ita extending radially from said conveyor and terminating in rollers I9. The afore- V said cups have front walls and outer side walls Y'rfor preventing the potatoes I1 from rolling there- K A from and they are normally prevented from swinging downwardly by means of a circular track I8 over which said cups are caused to travel, the aforesaid rollers I9 running on said track.

Y YThe machine shown in the drawin i for delivering potatoes in two rows rdsoapilirtieg are accordingly provided in the track I8 at diametrically opposed positions adjacent to therespective sides of Lthe machine, said openings being of .a size appropriate for enabling the cups' to 95 swing downwardly,- i. e., intothe positionsoc- Y cupied by ther cup designated il in Figure 2 and Y lorlrand Iii2 in Figure 3. i Y

he conveyor wheel 4fis caused to rotate y direction 'which results Yin the pivoted cups -bellilng trailed over the aforesaid openings, i. e. the lcups suddenly swing/downwardly'when their trailing edges reach the rear endsfof the'opening's in the tracks and engagement of said lcups with the fortation "of, the conveyor wheel automatically re'- horizontally disposed and supported on" h I8., thesaid A forward edges being downwgrllil clined if desiredin v'order to promote thedesired 40 upflard lnovement of the cups.

ea ove described potato conve or r extends over substantiaiiy theV fuii'ywiciatirglia-liseI frame of the machine and it willV be understood that such conveyor may include any desired number of cups I6 although Ytwenty-fourwill usually be found to bea suitablenumber. Y I A potato delivery chute 20 is providedon each .side of the; planting machine in a positionl having its inlet immediately under the abovementioned mopeningY permitting ofthe downward swinging of the cups I6; and arplow 2| is secured to'or formed integrally with said chute, said plow being substantially ofv V or concaved triangular form.v I n this way it is ensured that potatoes are dek Vlivered. into the bases of the furrowsmade by the 'said plows. y rSoil cutting discs 22 are preferably tted 'to' the leading part of the machine, such discs beinglocated in alignmentwith the points ofthe plows- 30 2|'.V AThese soil cutting discs .are preferably adjustable in a lvertical` direction; for instancef by being carried on plates 23 which can be secured to the frame of the machine by means of a bolt engaging selected holesof a seriesY of holes as indicated in Figure 1.1i Y c n The'machine shown inV the drawings also includes means forclosing the soil over the delivered potatoes, such means comprising pairs of inclined Ydiscs or blades 2li, 24 and' 25 25.' These' discsor blades may be mounted on'axles'zt,v 27 bent 'as iny dicated in orderY to position 'the ..discs1.appro'` priately for closingjthe furrowsimadeby the plows. vThese discs are preferably adjustable along their axles sothat vtheir distance ofseparation maybe varied vand their axles yare Ypreferably adjustable ward ends of said openings duringv continued ro-V stores said cups to positions in which they are vertically so that control can be exer-ted over the earthing-up operation.

The above described machine has two loading positions disposed at the front and back of the conveyor wheel 4, and seats 28 and 29 are preferably provided for the loaders.

In order to facilitate the supplying of potatoes to the loaders, a hopper 30 is mounted in the center of the machine and trays 3l and 32 are provided under the outlet from said hopper. The front panel of the hopper is removed in the machine shown in Figure 1 in order to expose the disposition of the said trays and it will be seen that these are slightly downwardly and outwardly curved so that they are automatically replenished as long as there are any potatoes in the hopper 30. The desired automatic feeding of the potatoes on to the trays 3l and 32 can be to some extent controlled by means of vertically adjustable shutters one of which is shown in .Figure 2 and designated 33, the provision of such shutters being particularly desirable if the machine has to deal with potatoes of very varying sizes.

By providing the above mentioned means for smoothly feeding potatoes from the hopper 30 to the trays 3l and 32, i. e., to positions where they are very readily accessible to the loaders, the loading operation can be Very quickly and easily carried out.

The casings 34, 34, shown at the sides of the potato hopper 30, are provided for receiving manure or other desired material for treating the soil and/or the potatoes. Outlet chutes are provided for delivering such material to the earth either just in advance ofthe plows or through the potato delivery chutes, a suitable chute 35 be-l ing shown at the right hand side of Figure 1 but the left hand one being removed in order to expose a distributor 36 consisting of a spider which is rotated for instance by gearing operated from the road wheel axle, said distributor serving to deliver a determined amount of manure or other desired material for instance to each potato as the latter is planted. Ihe aforesaid chute 35 may cooperate with a subsidiary and adjustable chute 31 enabling control to be exerted over the particular point at which the material is delivered.

If desired an adjustable plate, such as the` plate 38 shown at the left hand side of Figure 1, may be provided for exerting control over the amount of material delivered by the distributor 36 to the chute 35.

When it is desired to move the above described machine without performing any potato planting operation, the levers I4 are swung downwardly so lifting the frame of the machine and thereby raising the plows 2| above ground level and in some cases also raising the soil cutting discs 22 above ground level although the latter may be raised by independent adjustment. Such upward movement of the frame also disconnects the gear drive to the potato conveyor 4 in the manner already described. When however the machine is required to perform planting operations the levers I4 are swung into the position shown in Figure 2 so lowering the plows 2l so that they extend to the desired depth into the ground, the soil cutting discs 22 being also lowered and the gearing to the conveyor wheel 4 being engaged by the said movement of the levers I4. Traverse of the machine over the ground to be planted will then automatically plow two furrows in the soil, deliver potatoes thereto at regular intervals, deliver manure or other material to the soil (if desired) and close the soil over the planted potatoes, the only manual operation being the supplying of potatoes to the cups I 6 of the conveyor wheel.

Whilst I have hereinbefore described one embodiment of the present invention I wish it to be understood that the specific detailsv may be varied or modified without departing from the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A potato planting machine including a conveyor having naps pivotally mounted thereon, leach iiap comprising a front wall and an outer sidewall of unitary form, said flaps when in horizontal position forming potato-receiving cups of which the rear walls are formed by the front walls of succeeding flaps and inner side walls are formed by parts of the conveyor, and arranged to break their cup formations when moved from horizontal to inclined positions for delivering potatoes therein contained, and a platform over which the conveyor is movable, said platform affording reaches of horizontal support for the conveyor and regions of inclination of the flaps, and being apertured in the regions of inclination, to

permit potatoes delivered from the cups to drop to the ground.

2. A potato planting machine according to claim 1 wherein the supporting platform is arranged to move the ilaps into their inclined, potato-delivering positions successively as they come into registration with the apertures in said platform.

3. A potato planting machine according to claim 1 wherein said conveyor comprises a wheel, pivot pins extend radially with respect to the wheel, and the flaps are mounted on said pivot pins.

4. A potato planting machine according to claim 1 wherein said conveyor comprises a wheel, pivot pins extend radially of said wheel, said naps with two unitary formed walls are mounted on said pivot pins, and said platform is provided with two apertures located in the path of the flaps on opposite sides of the axis of the conveyor wheel and in regions of downward inclination of the iiaps.

ISRAEL POMIERANIEC. 

